Coin collector



March 2, 1937. P, E, MILLS 2,072,462

COIN COLLECTOR ATTORNEY March 2, 1937.

P. E. MILLS COIN COLLECTOR Filed April 25, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 w R mM NM W WE 5 P. G. H w A f wl 5 ATTORNEY S L m M E P COIN COLLECTOR Filed April 25, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 WEA/TOR P. E. M/LLS ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES EMMA@ PATENT OFFICE Telephone Laboratories,

Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 25, 1934, Serial No. 722,292

16 Claims.

This invention relates to coin collectors, and more particularly to means for preventing the fraudulent collection of money from refund chutes of telephone coin collectors.

5 In connection with prepayment coin collectors of the type commonly used at telephone pay stations, it is the practice to refund money to patrons when calls are not completed. Unscrupulous individuals have taken advantage of this 10 feature of the coin collectors by obstructing the coin refund chute, thus preventing the return of the coins to their rightful owners when calls have not been completed, and later removing the obstruction and appropriating the accumulated l5 coins. The problem of designing a coin return chute within the cost and space requirements, which is capable of discharging a number of coins of various denominations simultaneously, which also provides protection against tampering 20 with the coin magnet mechanism through the return chute, and which at the same time is proof against efforts at obstructing it, is a difficult one.

One of the objects of this invention is to increase the difculty of stung or obstructing the return chute without a subsequent patron being aware of the same.

Another object of this invention consists in providing coin collecting apparatus which will m detect the presence of obstructions and after one refund will prevent the subsequent operation of the refunding mechanism as long as the obstructions are present.

A further object consists in arranging the detecting and disabling operations so that the operator, in case of a manual coin collector, or the central oflice mechanism, in the case of a dial coin collector, will recognize the disabled refund condition, so that the trouble can be cleared and 4 0 an adjustment of the refund with the patron can be arranged, and s that the money that could not be refunded will be collected by the telephone company to compensate for the adjustment made to the p-atron.

4 5 A. still further object is to provide a mechanism which has a positive action insuring complete freedom for the coin magnet mechanism when the return chute is not stuffed and absolutely blocking the relay against more than one 50 refunding operation when the return chute mechanism is stuffed.

In accordance with the preferred form of this invention the coin return chute is not accessible from outside the housing but has its discharge 55 opening above a movable drawer into which refunded coins may drop, a side of the drawer normally closing the refund opening in the housing. After a coin has dropped into the drawer due to the operation of the coin refunding mechanism the patron may pull the drawer outwardly 5 until the interior of the drawer is exposed to view whereupon the refunded coins may be removed. As long as the drawer is moved outwardly after each refund and then returned to its normal position there is no interference with the normal refunding operations but whenever the drawer is so obstructed that it can not be moved to secure access to the refunded coin this invention provides means for blocking further refunds until the obstruction has been removed. Such an arrangement discourages the fraudulent obstruction of the coin drawer since the obstructor can obtain the coin or coins of only one refunding operation and not the accumulated coins of several refunds. The prevention of accumulated refunds may be accomplished by a trigger mechanism which normally blocks the coin magnet from refunding additional coins after each refund has been made until the trigger has been released by a lever actuated only by the restoration of the drawer from an advanced position to its normal position beneath the discharge opening of the return chute.

The coin refund opening in the housing and the drawer which normally closes said opening are preferably designed so that it is impossible to stuff material behind the drawer and the only recourse for the person attempting to stuff the mechanism would be to block the drawer itself as by wedging it in its normal and closed position. Such a wedging even if successful would cause only one refund to be deposited in the drawer, further vrefunds to the wedged drawer being prevented by the trigger mechanism above described. When a second refund is attempted the operator by the oper-ation of the coin return key for a manual coin collector would not be able to clear the trap where the coins are resting. This will give the operator a definite indication that the drawer is not functioning properly so that the operator may thereupon operate the coin collect key and obtain the collection of the coins in the normal manner while arranging by some other means to make the refund to which the patron is entitled. Thereafter and 59 in spite of the wedged drawer the coin collector may be used in the normal manner for completed telephone calls but in the case of each uncompleted call the refunding must take place by special service to the patron instead of through the refund drawer. As soon as the mechanism is freed by a patron or by a telephone company representative by the removal of the material wedging the drawer in a fixed position the normal refunding functions of the coin collector are restored without further adjustment.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself. both as to its organization and method of operation, together with other objects and advantages thereof, will be further explained in the following detailed description having reference to the accompanying drawings consisting of the following figures:

Fig. l represents a side view partly in section of a coin collector housing embodying a pivoted coin return drawer in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end View in section of the coin collector taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is atop View partly in section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing a leaf pivoted in the rear of the coin drawer for controlling the refund mechanism;

Fig. 4 illustrates mechanism whereby the pivoted coin drawer may control the actuation of the coin vane by the coin magnet and in this figure the parts are arranged to permit a refunding operation;

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 except that refunding by the coin magnet is blocked;

Fig. 6 illustrates a typical telephone circuit with which the coin collector of this invention may be employed;

Fig. 7 represents a side view partly in section of an alternative form of coin refund drawer;

Fig. 8 is an end View taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. "I disclosing the mechanism whereby the coin drawer may control the refunding mechanism; and

Fig. 9 is similar to Fig. 8 except that in Fig. 9 the apparatus is arranged to prevent any refund.

This invention for convenience will be described as a modification of the type of telephone coin collector disclosed generally in the Forsberg U. S. Patent 1,043,219 issued November 5, 1912. It has not been thought necessary to disclose the entire coin collector in the drawings and hence it is intended that the drawings illustrating this invention are to be supplemented as to details by reference to the said Forsberg patent or other disclosures in the prior art on coin collectors of similar character.

Fig. 1 discloses a side View of the lower part of a coin collector housing illustrating only that part of the coin collector involved in the refunding of coins to a patron in the case of an uncompleted call. The usual rectangular refund opening I!) in wall II of the coin collector casing I2 is normally closed by the end wall I3 of a coin drawer I4 pivoted on a pin l5 suitably supported within the casing. The drawer has a coin pocket I6 into which coins may be discharged from refund chute I1 when the coin magnet (not shown) operates to throw the usual vane I8 in the coin hopper I9 to refund position. However, any refunded coins in pocket I6 are not accessible to the patron until the patron by means of handle 20 has tilted the drawer outwardly to the dotted line position of Fig. 1, thereby placing the pocket opening outside the casing. After the patron has removed the refunded coins from the pocket and released handle 20, the drawer returns to its retracted position under the action of a coil spring 2| extending between a pin 22 on the coin drawer and a lug 23 suitably mounted from a wall of casing I2.

It will be understood that it is important that the drawer I4 be so constructed that it prevents any obstructing of the refund chute or tampering with the coin magnet mechanism by means of wires or other foreign objects the insertion of which may be attempted through the opening I0 normally closed by drawer wall I3. The width of the drawer is substantially equal to the width of opening I0 consistent with freedom of drawer motion. The flat parallel side walls 24, 25 of the drawer are preferably continuous from front wall I3 to the rear of the drawer and from the top to the bottom thereof. Front wall I3 is preferably broadened slightly beyond the side walls of the drawer and below the bottom of the drawer so as to extend beyond the side and bottom edges of opening I0. The top wall of the drawer in front of the coin pocket and the top wall 3| in the rear of the coin pocket present upper surfaces curved about an axis coinciding with pin I5. Suitably mounted within the casing and extending between opening and the forward wall of refund chute Il is a stationary member 32 of a width at least equal to the drawer width and presenting a lower surface curved about an axis coinciding with pin I5. The upper surfaces of members 3U, 3| and the lower surface of member 32 may be formed with alternate ridges and grooves running parallel to the direction of motion of the drawer in such a manner that each ridge of stationary member 32 will t snugly into a groove in drawer portion 30 when the drawer is closed and similarly fit snugly into a groove of drawer portion 3| when the drawer is pulled out. These grooves and ridges are illustrated in the sectional view of Fig. 2. The arrangement just described reduces the freedom of movement for any wire which one might attempt to insert between members 30, 32 or members 3|, 32 for the purpose of tampering with the internal mechanism of the collector. For the same reason the length of member 32 is substantially greater than the length of the coin pocket opening whereby when member 30 passes outside the housing, members 3| and 32 will be contacting over a substantial area, thereby preventing access to refund chute |'I when the drawer is in a partially open position.

It will be apparent that the drawer is intended to be in a fully retracted position when the coin magnet is operated for a refund in order that the coins falling down chute II will be discharged into pocket I6, In the event that the patron should by accident or design be holding drawer I4 in a fully open position at such a time it is necessary in the drawer construction shown to provide means for temporarily closing chute I7 to prevent the refunded coins from dropping into the bottom of the housing. This may be avoided by pivotally attaching to the drawer at the point 35 a curved metal strip 35 which when the drawer is pulled outwardly forms a continuation of drawer portion 3| similarly curved about the same axis when the strip 36 rests against stop 31. The advanced position of strip 36 is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and it will be apparent that it acts as an extension of the drawer to close the refund chute opening. If coins are refunded while the drawer is in its open position the coins will lie against strip 36 and as the drawer is closed the coins will be held by strip 36 or drawer wall 3| until pocket I6 is again aligned with the refund chute. The subsequent reopening of the drawer will, therefore, render the refunded coins available.

The free end of strip 36 is separated into two parts, part 31 being bent substantially at right angles to the main portion and part 38 being bent at a somewhat smaller angle. As shown more clearly in Fig. 3 part 31 has an elongated aperture 39 the purpose of which will be described later. Part 38 aids in quickly aligning strip 36 as a curved extension of the drawer top and helps to reduce the vibration of strip 36 when the drawer is opened quickly. With the drawer in its retracted position strip 36 rests on a lug 4I! which projects from an interior wall of the casing. As the drawer is moved counterclockwise the strip 36 slides across lug 40 until tip 38 strikes extension 4I of an interior wall of the casing thereby causing strip 36 to pivot more rapidly about axis 35 until the drawer has been moved sufficiently far to clear tip 38 of projection 4I, whereby the strip 36 will reach stop 31 with a minimum of chattering.

It will be frequently desirable to guard against the contingency that the drawer I4 might be jammed for fraudulent purposes in some position which would permit refunded coins for a number of calls to accumulate either in chute I1 or pocket I6 until the defrauder returns to remove the obstruction. In accordance with this invention the refunding mechanism is constructed to prevent more than one refunding operation until the drawer has been opened and allowed to return to its closed position. The manner in which this is accomplished will be explained by a consideration of Figs. 4 and 5 taken in connection with Fig, 1.

The coin hopper I9, Figs. 4 and 5, has the usual vane I8 pivoted on axis 43 for supporting the coin trap on which the deposited coins rest until they are collected or refunded. Vane I 8 has a pin 44 projecting through an arcuate Shaped slot 45 in the side wall of the hopper. The forked end 46 of the extension from the coin f magnet armature (not shown) is employed to 44 between the armature extension 46 and the hopper wall has at its other end a right angle projection 53 passing through slot 5I for an appreciable distance whereby projection 53 rides back and forth in slot I as Vane I8 is rocked to the right or the left for refunding or collection. Pivotally mounted on wall 56 is a pawl or refund blocking latch 54 operating in a manner to be described later. Mounted on wall 5D below slot 5I is a pivoted irregularly shaped cam l member 55 having an arm 56 which as shown in Fig. 4 normally holds latch 54 out of the path of projection 53 on connecting arm 52. When arm 56 is in the position shown in Fig. 5 latch 54 is dropped into the path of projection 53 preventing by linkage 52 any movement of Vane I8 to the right in the direction intended for refunding. The cam 55 is limited to a rocking motion determined by the movement of arm 51 between stops 58 and 59. Cam 55 also has an arm 60 with a right angle projection 6I which when in the position shown in Fig. 5 lies in the path of the horizontal portion 62 of a rod or wire 63 so that when said rod is moved upwardly cam 55 will thereby be moved from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 4,

R'eferring back to Fig. 1 it will be seen that rod 63 has a vertical portion extending downwardly through an aperture in shelf 64, a horizontal por-- tion normally resting on lug 65, a vertical portion passing through a guide 66 in the lower housing, and an arm 61 lying in the path of drawer extension 36.

The manner in which the above described apparatus operates to permit only one refund until drawer I4 has been opened and closed will now be described.

Assume that the apparatus is in the position shown in Fig. 4 and that the operator wishes to make a refund. The operation of the coin magnet will move vane I8 to the right in the usual manner discharging the coins into chute I1. The accompanying movement of connecting arm 52 will move cam 55 clockwise to the position shown in Fig. 5 which will allow latch 54 to drop and upon the deenergization of the coin magnet the vane will be restored to its normal vertical position. Projection 53 on arm 52 is now prevented by latch 54 from a second movement to the right in slot 5I and hence a second refunding operation of the coin magnet will not be effective to discharge the deposited coins into refund chute I1. It should be noted that pawl 54 does not prevent at any time a collection operation of the coin magnet involving a movement of the vane I8 and connecting arm 52 from their central position to the left and back again. However, when the patron opens drawer I4 to obtain the refunded coins the return of the drawer to its closed position will clear the apparatus for another refund.

As previously described end piece 31 in its angular movement due to the opening of the coin drawer does not Contact with arm 61 because of the aperture 39 but as the drawer is being moved from an opened position to its closed position the tip of end piece 31 will rst project under arm 61 and raise arm 61 a substantial distance before end piece 31 nally returns to its position of rest as shown in Fig. l. That is, the actuation of linkage 63 takes place just prior to the arrival of drawer I4 to its fully retracted position. As soon as the tip of end piece 31 has passed beyond the end of arm 61 linkage 63 will fall back against lug 65 to the position shown in Fig. 1. This momentary upward movement of linkage 63 will cause cam 55 to be moved counter-clockwise by reason of its upper arm 62 contacting with projection 6I thereby placing cam arm 56 again in a vertical position where it holds latch 54 in its upper position where the mechanism is prepared to make a further refund.

An alternative form of the invention is shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 where the lower part of the coin collector housing has a tiltable drawer pivoted about an axis 16 and adapted to be pulled out of the housing through the refund opening 11 in the same manner as drawer I4 of Fig. l. The drawer 15 has a coin pocket 18 normally in position to receive coins discharged by refund chute 19. The front upper wall 80 and the rear upper wall 8I of the drawer are curved about an axis coinciding with pin 16 except that wall 8e has a shorter radius of curvature. Wall 89 normally in intimate contact with the curved stationary wall 82 which extends from the top of refund opening 11 to the discharge opening of refund chute 19. As the drawer is pulled out of the housing the rear upper wall 8| of the drawer is adapted to ride above and not below wall 82 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 and the length of top portion 8| is sufficient to close the discharge opening of chute 19 when drawer 15 is in its maximum open position. The fact that top 0| rides over stationary wall S2 is advantageous over the alternative arrangement of having wall 8| follow the path of wall in that it removes the possibility of any wire being passed between surfaces 8| and 02 with the drawer in opened position in an attempt to tamper with the refunding mechanism located above chute 19. It is to be understood that drawer 15 in its retracted position completely closes refund opening 11 and the drawer in other respects is quite similar to drawer |4 of Fig. 1.

The arrangement of Figs. 7, 8, and 9 also prevents more than one refund unless the drawer 18 is opened between refunds. A curved cam B5 is mounted on a side of drawer 15 and the lower end of a lever 86 pivoted at the point 81 normally rests on the upper end of cam 85. An extension of lever 86 passes through an aperture in shelf 88 and terminates in an arm 89 a short distance below a right angle projection on an arm of the pivoted cam 9|. Cam 9| has another arm 92 which normally holds latch 93 out of the refund path of pin 94 which pin is mounted on vane and projects through an aperture in the coin hopper. It will be apparent that with the first refund cam 9| will be moved clockwise to the position shown in Fig. 9 which will permit latch 93 to block a second movement of pin 94 to the right. However, if the drawer is moved outwardly the drawer movement will raise lever 86 causing its upper arm 89 to contact with projection 90 and restore cam 9| to its counter-clockwise position where the latch 93 is ineffective to prevent the next refund. When the drawer is restored to its retracted position lever 80 falls back to its position shown in Fig. '1. Except for the elements just described the arrangements of Figs. '7, 8, and 9 are quite similar to those in Figs. 1 to 5 and it is believed that no further explanation thereof is required.

In order that the operation of the coin collector of this invention may be more fully understood there is disclosed in Fig. 6, by way of example, the type of circuit which may be employed in a manual telephone system at a central ofce A, for operating at station B a coin collector of the type disclosed in Fig. l. When a coin |00 is deposited in the coin chute to obtain a connection it trips a coin trigger to cause ground contact springs |0| to close. A circuit will be established under these conditions over the following path from grounded contacts |0|, coils of magnet |02y tip side of line L, closed Contact of relay |03 and winding of relay |04 to battery. The closure of this circuit will energize relay |04 and light lamp |05. The operator, noting this light will insert plug |06 in jack |01 and cause lamp |05 to be extinguished as follows: The battery |08 is closed through lamp |09, (lighting this lamp) through conductor ||0, sleeve contacts plug E06 and jack |01, energizing relay |03. This opens the contacts of relay |03 deenergizing relay |04 and extinguishing lamp |05. It may be assumed that the patron at station B has removed the receiver from the hook and its contacts are closed. This completes a circuit from the battery ||2 through repeating coil winding I3 to contact |4 of key I5 through contact ||6 of key ||1 to tip of plug |06, tip contact of jack |01 over tip side of line L through the talking circuit at station B back through the ring side of line L, jack |01, plug |06, contacts ||8 of key ||1, contacts ||9 of key ||5 through supervisory relay |20, repeating coil winding |2| back to the other side of battery l2. The closure of this circuit causes the energizing of relay |20 which closes contacts |22 extinguishing lamp |09 but still holding operated the relay |03 from battery ||2. The operator can now communicate with station B and obtain the number desired by the patron calling therefrom. In the event the call is completed the coin collect key I5 is operated and the coin |00 deposited in the coin box in the following manner. The operation of key ||5 closes a circuit from positive battery, lamp |24, winding of relay |25, upper make contact |20 of collect key H5, closed contact ||0 of key ||1, tip contacts of plug |06 and jack |01, tip conductor of line L, windings of magnet |02 and closed contact I0! to ground. The closure of the circuit just described will cause relay |25 to be energized. This relay will close a circuit through its make contact to light pilot lamp |28. The energization of magnet |02 by the closure of the described circuit will move operating arm 46 to the left, thereby causing the coin to be collected and arm 46 will return to normal when key ||5 is released. After the patron has replaced the receiver on the hook relay |20 will be deenergized, relighting lamp |09. The operator can now disconnect plug |00 from jack |01 denergizing relay |03 and the circuits at the central office and at the station will then be restored to normal and ready for the next call.

In case the call was not successfully completed the above operations would be repeated except that the operator would depress coin return key ||1 instead of coin collect key H5. The circuit in this event is as follows: Negative battery is connected through lamp |30, relay winding |3|, make contact |21 of key |1 to the magnet at station B as described for the collect operation. The completion of the circuit of the magnet causes operating arm 46 to move to the right to allow the coin |00 to slide off the coin trap through refund chute |1 to coin pocket I6 where it may L be recovered by the patron by the forward tilting of drawer I4. When the coin return key ||1 is released magnet 02 is deenergized and the ground contact springs |02 are opened. The operations of disconnecting are the same as were described for the collection of the coin.

If, however, the drawer i4 has been wedged in such a position that the refunding cannot proceed in the usual manner and if the patron realizes the blocked condition before he hangs up, he can signal the operator by operating the switchhook to close its contacts so as to deenergize supervisory relay |20 and light lamp |09. The operator upon being informed of the blocked drawer can arrange to make the refund in some other manner and will advise repair forces of the trouble condition existing at the pay station and arrange to have the coin collector restored to normal operation. If the patron should leave the station without informing the operator of the blocked condition the apparatus of Fig. l will operate in the normal manner to make future collections on completed calls but will be unable to make a second refund. In the event a second refund is attempted the operation of refund key l will energize magnet |02 in the usual manner but its armature will not be operated because of latch 54 and hence the deposited coinV will remain on the coin trap supported by vane I8. If the operator is notified by the patron she can operate coin return key ||'l again and by observation of the lamp |28 can determine that the coin return current has again been applied to the line and can ascertain in that way that the ground contact springs have not been opened as would be the case with the normal refunding of the coin. The operator can then operate coin collect key ||Yto collect the coins on the coin trap inasmuch as coin magnet |02 is not blocked for operation in the collect direction. The ground contact springs |0| will then be opened and the operator can determine by a subsequent operation of the collect key and observation of the lamp |28 that the coins have been collected. The operator can then communicate with the patron and advise him of the fact that the refunding mechanism is out of order and arrange to reimburse him in the manner provided for such cases.

If the patron has replaced the receiver on the hook before noting that the drawer is wedged and the refunding mechanism disabled, the operator will note the relighting of lamp |09 due to the deenergizing of relay |20 and will disconnect the plug |06 from the jack |0'i in the regular way not noting that the coin has not been refunded. Relay |03 will be deenergized by the disconnect operation and as the ground contact springs |0| are still closed due to failure to complete the refund, the relay |04 will be energized again and the lamp |05 relighted. This will signal the operator again and she will replace the plug |06 in jack |01 and communicate with the patron in case he has removed his receiver frorn the hook and is attempting to signal the operator. The operato-r can then attempt to return the coin again and if unsuccessful can collect it in the manner described above, arranging for a refund to the patron in some other manner. If the patron has left the telephone without communicating with the operator she can ring the pay station in the regular way to communicate with the patron regarding reimbursing him. The operator can then collect the coin.

It should be noted from the foregoing description of this invention that any disabling of the return drawer mechanism to render refunded coins inaccessible will, after one refund, prevent the subsequent operation of the refunding mechanism as long as the disabled condition exists. It is obvious that such an arrangement discourages the fraudulent obstruction of the coin drawer since the obstructer can obtain the coin or coins of only one refunding operation and not the accumulated coins of several refunds.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a specific type of coin collector it may be modified in obvious ways to meet the requirements of coin collecting apparatus having diiferent types of coin refunding mechanism. Likewise it is applicable to coin collectors co-nnected to machine switching central oice lines.

What is claimed is:

1. In coin collecting apparatus, a housing having an opening in a side wall thereof, a refund chute within said housing and having a discharge opening remote from said side wall opening, a pivoted drawer having a wall member normally closing said side wall opening, a co-in pocket in said drawer normally in position to receive coins discharged by said chute, a stationary member within said housing and extending in a substantially arcuate path from the lower edge of said chute to the upper end of said side wall opening, said stationary member having a width at least equal to the width of said coin pocket, said drawer having an upper wall extending in a substantially arcuate path from said wall member to the edge of said pocket, said upper wall and said stationary member being in closeproximity to each other in said normal position of said drawer while freely permitting said drawer to be advanced outside said housing through said side wall opening to permit access to said pocket.

2. Coin collecting apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the length of said stationary member from said housing opening to the edge of said chute is substantially greater than the distance across the top of said pocket measured in the direction in which said drawer is movable and means for biasing said drawer to said normal position.

3. Coin collecting apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which said drawer has a second substantially arcuate-shaped upper wall on the side of said pocket opposite said rst upper wall, said second upper wall lying snugly against the lower surface of said stationary member when said drawer is in its extreme outer position.

Ll. In coin collecting apparatus, a housing, a refund chute terminating within said housing, said housing having an opening in a side wall, a pivoted drawer having a side wall normally closing said opening, a coin pocket in said drawer normally in position to receive coins discharged by said chute, said housing having a stationary frame member extending in a substantially arcuate path from a lower edge of said chute to the upper edge of said opening, said drawer having an upper wall extending in a substantially arcuate path from said housing side wall to the edge of said pocket, said upper wall and said frame member being in close proximity to each other in said normal position for said drawer while freely permitting said drawer to be advanced out of said housing through said opening, said drawer having a second substantially arcuate-shaped upper wall on the side of said pocket opposite said rst upper wall, said second upper wall lying snugly against the lower surface of said stationary member when said drawer is in its extreme outer position, the upper surface of said second upper wall and the lower surface of said stationary member having parallel grooves and ridges running parallel to the direction of movement of said drawer, said surfaces when juxtaposed having each ridge on each surface fitting snugly into a groove of the opposite surface.

5. In a coin collecting device including a refund chute adapted to receive refunded coins, a magnet for controlling the movement of said coins to said chute', a movable coin pocket for receiving coins from said chute, means normally blocking a second refunding operation by said magnet after a first refund and means actuated by a movement of said pocket occurring after said first refund for permitting a second refund by said magnet.

6. In a coin collector housing including a return chute adapted to receive refunded coins, a magnet for controlling the movement of said coins to said chute, said housing having a refund opening to enable a patron to have access to refunded coins, a pivoted coin drawer mounted for receiving coins from said chute and having a wall normally closing said opening and means controlled by the movement of said drawer for controlling the refunding operations of said magnet.

7. In a coin collector housing including a return chute adapted to receive refunded coins, a magnet for controlling the movement of said coins to said chute, a pivoted coin pocket mounted for receiving coins from said chute when said pocket is in a retracted position, said pocket when advanced a substantial distance from its retracted position rendering said pocket accessible from outside said housing, and means actuated by movement of said pocket from an advanced position to its retracted position but unactuated by movement of said pocket from retracted position to advanced position for controlling said magnet.

8. In a coin collector housing including a return chute adapted to receive refunded coins, a magnet for controlling the movement of said coins to said chute, a pivoted coin receptacle mounted for receiving coins from said chute when said receptacle is in a retracted position, said receptacle when advanced a substantial distance from its retracted position rendering said receptacle accessible from outside said housing and means actuated by movement of said receptacle only when said receptacle after being placed in an advanced position has reached that part of its travel in close proximity to its normal retracted position for controlling said magnet.

9. A coin collector housing comprising a coin hopper, a coin refund chute leading from said hopper, a magnet, means actuated by said magnet for permitting a deposited coin to fall into said refund chute, means normally preventing said magnet from making a second refund after a first refund, a pivoted coin drawer which in a retracted position receives coins from said refund chute and in an advanced position renders coins in said drawer accessible from outside said housing, and means controlled by the movement of said drawer for permitting said second refund after said first refund.

10. A coin collector housing comprising a coin hopper, a coin refund chute leading from said hopper, a magnet, means actuated by said magnet for permitting a deposited coin to fall into said chute, means normally preventing said magnet from making a second refund after a rst refund, a pivoted coin drawer which in a retracted position receives coins from said refund chute and in an advanced position renders coins in said drawer accessible from outside said housing, means for biasing said drawer to said retracted position and means actuated by said drawer as said drawer is nearing said retracted position after having been advanced subsequent to said first refund for causing said first means to permit a second refund.

ll. In coin collecting apparatus, a housing having an opening in a side wall thereof, a refund chute terminating within said housing, a pivoted drawer in its closed position having a coin pocket in position to receive coins from said chute but inaccessible from outside said housing, means for moving said drawer through said opening to render said pocket accessible from outside said housing, said drawer having means for preventing the insertion of an instrument through said side wall opening when said Vdrawer is in its closed position, said drawer also having means for preventing the insertion of an instrument through said side wall opening when said drawer is in its extreme outer position.

l2. In coin collecting apparatus, a housing having an opening in a side wall thereof, a refund chute terminating within said housing, a pivoted receptacle in its closed position having a coin pocket normally in position to receive coins from said chute, means for moving said receptacle through said opening to render said coin pocket accessible from outside said housing, a stationary member Within said housing and extending in an arcuate path for a substantial distance away from said opening, said receptacle in its closed position having an arcuate shaped upper Wall on one side of said coin pocket fitting snugly against said member, said receptacle in its open position having an additional upper wall on the other side of said coin pocket fitting snugly against said member when said receptacle is in its extreme outer position.

13. Coin collecting apparatus in accordance with claim l2 in which said upper walls and said member are of such relative dimensions that in the outward movement of said receptacle said additional wall registers with said member before said coin pocket becomes accessible from out-- side said housing.

14. In coin collecting apparatus, a housing, an article delivery chute within said housing and having a discharge opening, said housing having an opening in a side wall, a pivoted receptacle having means for normally closing said side wall opening, said receptacle in one position being adapted to receive articles discharged by said chute, means for moving said receptacle through said side wall opening to render said receptacle accessible from outside said housing, and means pivoted to said receptacle for closing said discharge opening when said receptacle is moved outside said housing,

15. A coin collector housing comprising a coin hopper, a coin refund chute leading from said hopper, a magnet, means actuated by said magnet for directing a first deposited coin into said chute, a movable coin pocket which in a retracted position receives said first coin from said chute, and in an advanced position renders said first coin accessible from outside said housing, and means for delaying the discharge into said pocket of a later deposited coin until after said pocket with said first coin has been moved to said advanced position.

16. In a pay station telephone coin collector, a housing, a coin delivery chute having a discharge opening, a movable receptacle which in one position receives coins discharged through said opening and in a second position is exposed outside said housing, coin delivery mechanism for controlling the discharge of a rst coin into said chute, means responsive to the actuation of said mechanism in discharging said first coin for preventing the discharge of a second coin into said chute after said mechanism has discharged said rst coin, and means responsive to the movement of said receptacle from said rst position to said second position for rendering said first means ineffective.

PERCY E. MILLS. 

